‘The Midden’ explores the roles of art, fiction, and philosophy in relation to the future. More specifically, it asks what post-fossil art and society might look like. In discussing the methods and instruments deployed by contemporary artists to address ecologies and ecological issues, including engagements with laboratories, museums, and cartography, it promotes an examination of the themes of binaries, entanglement, and post-sustainability. The book draws on the Frontiers in Retreat project, for which art research was carried out over a five-year period by 25 artists at sites throughout Europe. With contributions by Jussi Parikka, Emmi Itäranta, Antti Salminen, Taru Elfving, and others.

Artist Carl Giffney gave an overview of his documentary as part of Frontiers in Retreat (FIR). The feature length documentary was filmed in the Netherlands, Scotland, Finland and the Arctic. I really don’t feel them shows the making of a unique pair of Dutch bronze clogs that are forged in Scotland as the Independence referendum was taking place. The shoes were brought on a trip the length of Finland and travelled North to the Saami people, the only indigenous people in Europe, living in Northern Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia. Carl then finished by linking the project to social cohesion and his personal experiences of making yourself vulnerable in order to learn.

SAJOS is the Saami Cultural Centre and is the largest event venue in Northern Lapland. It homes the Saami parliament, is the centre for Saami self government and deals with Saami cultural affairs.

The Arctic lands surrounding SAJOS and its cinema feature as the sites of the movies ending.

The movie and its props now go on tour. Our next destination will be in The Scottish Sculpture Workshop where it will be screened inside a converted bronze foundry that also features as a central filming site.

I really don't feel them was shot in The Netherlands, Scotland, and Finland, and made within the five year project Frontiers In Retreat supported by the EU Culture Fund.

Carl Giffney is a graduate of NCAD and IADT Ireland. He is a founding member, and director, of The Good Hatchery, Offaly. This site archives recent contemporary art projects by Irish artist Carl Giffney.